Russia faced sharp backlash on Tuesday after calling for diplomats and foreigners to leave Kyiv over the threat of fresh strikes, with Western countries accusing Moscow of escalating the more than four-year war. A joint statement by almost 50 countries at the United Nations condemned what they described as threats by Russia against embassies in Ukraine.
Joint Statement Condemns Russian Threats
“We also condemn recent threats by Russia to diplomatic institutions and embassies in Kyiv. This is something which we cannot accept,” said the statement, delivered by Ukrainian UN representative Andriy Melnyk. The statement was signed by European countries, Japan, South Korea, and others.
The European Union also criticized Russia’s threat, stating it had no plans to move its staff. Germany and Norway summoned Russia’s ambassador over the move. A spokesperson for France’s foreign ministry said Monday that evacuating diplomatic staff from Kyiv was “out of the question.”
Russia Announces Systematic Strikes
Russia announced Monday it had started a campaign of “systematic” strikes on Kyiv, after battering Ukraine with hundreds of drones and a hypersonic missile over the weekend. It said the strikes would target the Ukrainian capital’s “decision-making centres” and urged foreign citizens and diplomats “to leave the city as soon as possible,” as well as for Kyiv residents to avoid public buildings.
Ukraine called the threats “blackmail” and encouraged its allies to ignore the warning, while several Western diplomatic missions announced they had no plans to evacuate their staff.
Escalating Strikes and Diplomatic Efforts
Russia’s threat came after weeks of escalating strikes between the two sides, and as U.S.-led talks aimed at ending the conflict remained largely frozen over the Iran war. Russia last week accused Ukraine of hitting a vocational school in the Russian-occupied Lugansk region, killing 21 people, while a massive attack on Ukraine’s capital the week before killed 24, according to Ukrainian authorities. Both sides deny targeting civilians.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Washington remained ready to mediate in the conflict. “Every time you see these big strikes from one side or the other, it’s a reminder of why this is a terrible war that’s now gone on longer than the Second World War, and it needs to come to an end,” Rubio told reporters during an official visit to India.
Recent Attacks
Both Russia and Ukraine exchanged strikes on Tuesday. A Ukrainian drone attack killed one person in Russia’s Belgorod border region, local authorities said, while Russian strikes on Ukraine left several wounded, according to Ukrainian officials.
